Today I would like to honor one of the great voices for so many things: Kate Bornstein. "Auntie Kate," as she's called by her fans, was born a man into a New Jersey Jewish family, later joined the Church of Scientology, was married and had a daughter, then came out as transgender, going through the painful and long process to become a woman, and now is a wonderful spokeswoman for "freaks" and "gender outlaws" everywhere. You can read some of her thoughts and writings on her blog.
While she speaks most heavily for transgendered people, she also keeps the conversation interesting concerning gender and sexuality (reminding us constantly that everything comes in all sorts of shades of grey), continually calls on people to #stayalive and is a fierce advocate against suicide and bullying, especially for gender and sexuality.
A big reason I chose to honor Bornstein is because her latest book arrived on shelves today. A Queer And Pleasant Danger is a memoir about her vivacious life. It certainly holds nothing back, as Bornstein is very straightfoward about everything and isn't afraid to talk about her life. I once had the privilege of hearing her speak, and she remains positive and hopeful in spite of all the pain she's felt over the decades.
While I haven't read her memoir yet, I will and suggest you do too. I also suggest you buy it at your favorite independent bookstore or at Barnes & Noble and support the people who are still working to provide quality service in selling books. (Hope you don't mind the little rant against online corporations that are seeming to kill the physical bookstore, a place I hold dear to my heart.)
Once you've read the memoir, let me know your thoughts. You can also let Bornstein know you're thoughts; I know she would love to hear from you. In addition to her blog, you can find her on Twitter.
Cheers!
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